I let it go. Maybe it’s part of her health issues. I don’t care whether or not she drinks. So why am I disappointed to know she doesn’t really go out? I know so little about her. Maybe there’s a partner at home controlling where she goes and when. I push that dark thought away; I have no reason to think that. It’s just a shame more people don’t know her. I’m desperate to figure her out and know everything about her. I want to lead her around town and introduce her to everyone like,This is Julia.She’s so funny and goofy and smart and apparently also dances.
It is what someone dating her might think. Not me.
Inside, the bar is packed two people deep and it’s hard to find the team. When I spot them, I see they have snagged a table in the back corner and wave from across the room. Next to me, Julia takes a deep breath in and out.
I glance over to find her jaw tight with tension, gaze scanning all the people between us and our group.
“Are you okay?” I ask.
“Yeah. Of course.” She nods and forces a smile.
I lead the way through the crowd, parting through people as much as possible so she doesn’t have to brush against anybody.
As we get closer, we are greeted with a chorus of “There they are,” and “Happy birthday!”
“Ready?” I ask her and she smiles up at me with a look of gratitude.
“As I’ll ever be.”
* * *
Eventually we drift out to the less-crowded back patio, where the setting sun bathes the team in that magic hour light and the sweet smell of summer air. Pride fills my chest. My people needed this. They laugh easily, talk about nothing important and luxuriate in the good weather and company. I nurse a beer at the same rate Julia does a cider. She seems happy, if slightly contained. The pink hues illuminate her golden skin, giving her an ethereal glow. She’s like a wood nymph with her mischievous dark eyes and pixie nose lightly dusted in freckles.
Julia dresses in a way that fascinates me. Always professional in flowy pants that could easily look like bad mom-khakis from the ’90s but are chic on her. Tonight, her oversized dress shirt is cinched high and tight around her petite waist, but droops around the shoulders, revealing that little dip by her collarbone. There’s a beauty mark just before the delicate bone of her shoulder. I tilt my head unconsciously to try and get a better look from across the room.
I’m aware I’m blatantly staring when she looks up and our eyes meet. A tangible wave of warmth passes over me that I can’t explain. I look away quickly, taking a long pull of my beer, wondering if she feels it too. My focus slides back to her no matter how I try to fight it. My gaze is greedy for her.
God, I can’t be thinking things like this. Besides the whole maintaining a professional distance, there’s also the fact that she’s leaving in a few weeks. If I were ever lucky enough to get close to Julia, I don’t think I’d be able to see her leave so easily.
Julia is listening to Kate talk about her most recent trip to Prague with her head tilted and a smile on her face when an upbeat song comes on. Her foot starts to tap and her head bobs to the heavy techno beat. Is she dancing in her head while she’s listening? Does she even know she’s doing it?
A guy I recognize from a different team in the building adjacent to ours has made his way over to Julia. I don’t trust how he immediately hones in on her. His eyes are a little glassy and he steps a little too close. I think his name is Tom. I’ve never liked him and I decide I like him even less when he moves to the high stool next to Julia and leans in. Febin is talking to me but I’m only half-listening as I cast glances to check on her.
Her face has a polite smile but every so often she looks around with an uncomfortable edge. He leans in, jabbing the counter with a finger, speaking with the exuberance of someone more than tipsy. She smiles politely but leans back every time he moves closer. At this rate she’ll fall backward off the stool.
He’s talking loudly for all the patio to hear. “But that’s just the newest model. I probably shouldn’t have splurged for it. But work hard, play hard, amirite?” Tom slurs, not-so-subtly bragging about his drone collection.
Julia’s gaze meets mine unexpectedly over Febin’s shoulder. Maybe I imagine the slight widening of eyes as a call for help. Maybe my brain is sleep deprived and seeing what it wants to. But when Tom reaches for her and she visibly flinches, I’m out of my chair and heading over in a flash.
“Be right back,” I mumble to Febin, who, unfazed, continues on with Dylan and Jared.
“Julia,” I say when I’m at her side. I slide in between them, effectively blocking Tom without actually touching her. I don’t have a plan of what to say. My body acted before my head caught up again. This is a new phenomenon for me. Usually it’s very much my mind going a million miles an hour while I stand fidgeting, staring in space. Now with Julia looking at me expectantly, I freeze up.
“Hey, Big Cheese,” she grins.
“Hey, you’re the guy …” He snaps his fingers and jabs a finger into my shoulder. It jostles me forward slightly and I knock into Julia’s knees, which have to spread to accommodate me. She gasps and stands quickly, tucking her hands behind her back.
“Tom,” I say flatly to him. “I think someone scratched your Mustang.”
“What? For real?” He cocks his head to try and see into the parking lot. “Fu—” He stumbles away without looking back at Julia.
Julia sucks in her lips and smiles up at me. This close I see that a few of the freckles look like the constellation Cassiopeia. I’m about to tell her that when I realize I’ve been staring at her face for way too long.
“How’d you know about his car?” she asks with a raised eyebrow.
“Lucky guess,” I say and change the subject. “How many beers have you had?”
She frowns and I mentally kick myself. That was the wrong thing to say. I hadn’t meant to sound like I was blaming her for Tom’s invasion. Why am I so very awkward around her? I can explain the most complicated energetics technology but talking to this woman ties my tongue in knots.
